Imo: Gunmen Kill LP House Of Assembly Candidate

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News From The State, Nigeria 2015 Election Friday, April 3rd, 2015

FROM IGNATIUS OKPARA, Owerri – Barley eight days to the April 11 governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls in Nigeria, unknown gunmen have killed the Labour Party (LP) candidate for Ngor Okpala state constituency of Imo state, Mr. Andrew Ugwuezumba.

The deceased who was in his early 40’s and hails from Umenehi village in Obiangwu autonomous community of Imo state, was reportedly killed at about 8p.m on Thursday, along the usually lonely Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport (SMICA) Road Owerri, while returning from a campaign rally at Umuowa a neighbouring community also in Ngor Okpala.

African Examiner learnt that the assailants trailed the deceased in an unmarked Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) from the venue of the rally until they double-crossed his car few poles away from his hometown and shot him on the head at a close range.

It was gathered that some of Ugwuezumba’s supporters, who were in the same car with him, also sustained various degrees of injuries and are presently undergoing medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

Reacting to the ugly development, LP gubernatorial candidate in the State, Ngozi Olehi, who said he was still in shock over the murder, described it as barbaric and unfortunate.

He urged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.

In a similar development, another indigene of Ngor Okpala Council Area, Mr. Bennett Nnaji, popularly known as “Coach” who hails from Umuekwune Umuorisha in Umuohiagu autonomous community was gruesomely murdered by yet-to-be identified assassins on the same night.

Nnaji, 54 and the only surviving son of his aged mother was said to have met his untimely death at Umuowa, few metres away from the Airport Junction, along Aba Road while returning home from his maternal home, Ndiama Ulakwo in Owerri North LGA.

The deceased and a father of three, who based in Abuja, had visited home to be with his mother during the general elections.

His decomposing body was discovered Thursday morning by passersby as the assailants had apparently chased him into the bush where they shot him severally and hid his head under his dark-coloured Mercedes Jeep with Abuja registration number CN870RSH.

Reacting to the barbaric act, Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Andrew Enwerem, said he had not been formally briefed on the incidents by the Ngor Okpala Police division.